


Breaking

by tired_noiz



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, mafia!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-04-30 20:32:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5178641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tired_noiz/pseuds/tired_noiz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Noiz is a mafia boss, Aoba is his lover and there are consequences of being at the top.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. you can't shed this awful feeling

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for the sucky title! I hope you enjoy this and thank you for reading.  
> Noiz and Aoba already have an established relationship and just think of Koujaku as almost a bodyguard for Aoba. I'll explain more in the next chapter.

"Keep doing that,  ** _babe,_**  and see where it gets you." Sometimes, Noiz realized, the whole mafia business had its downfalls. The man seated in front of him was a perfect example of the low-life shit that littered the organization and he'd had enough. Unfortunately, he had no valid reason to get rid of the trash and their group was a vital asset to Noiz. Sighing soundlessly, he turned his attention back to the deal at hand, but not before latching onto Aoba's hand when he tread by. He could sense the uneasiness in his partner, only adding to the irritation inside. Honestly, he couldn't wait to kick this guy out.

Aoba had been cleaning. Fairly simple everyday task, nothing remotely seductive about it - unless you counted the outfit he was wearing: shorts that clung to his thighs matched with the slack sweatshirt hanging down - all blue, of course. Overall, he looked more adorable than alluring. This outfit wasn't on purpose though; they'd had no idea the deal was being made today until their kisses were so rudely interrupted. At this point, Noiz was already pissed. Being pissed didn't look professional though and neither did an untidy house, thus why Aoba decided that he'd attempt to hastily clean the rooms. The younger male had a feeling that the decision to do business in the exact same room Aoba was in was entirely intentional. He'd given the other man a choice of room, merely out of what little respect he had for their group. What he hadn't expected was this guy spotting Aoba trying to dart into the room whilst remaining hidden. He would've laughed, if it was anything else, anyone else; this boss had a reputation as a thief, in more ways than one. If he thought he was gonna take Aoba away, he had another thing coming. Noiz just wished it was a bullet aimed straight for his head.

"How about we go back to the deal at hand, eh?" Noiz spat out harshly. He didn't appreciate the way he was leering at Aoba. Rage was bubbling inside of him, lining his mouth with an unpleasant taste. However, he kept his expression completely neutral, even adding in a smile. Yet his eyes spoke of sharp insults and the desire to kill. Aoba could sense this urge and dark aura emitting from him, so he did what any (horrifically stupid) person would do - he offered them drinks. Now, this wouldn't be so bad if it was just a usual deal, offering tea or coffee to their new business partner as a way of friendship. But this wasn't their usual deal and Noiz  **definitely**  did not want any form of friendship. The question had slipped out before any reasonable thought could stop it.

"Can I offer you anything, sir? A drink?" The minute it came out, Noiz whipped around as if he'd been slapped in the face. Normally, he was against insults towards Aoba. Yet the only thought in his brain at that moment was ' _how idiotic are you?'_ Was he completely oblivious to the way he was being treated like prey and that's why he created room for more flirting? Did he find this man more appealing? As these questions taunted him, dancing through his mind like irritating elves, he nearly missed the man's reply. He wished he had.

"No, I'm not thirsty but I'd  ** _love_** a slice of you,  **honey**." If the taste of swallowed insults didn't make him sick to his stomach, that cheesy, disgusting pet name did. Upon looking at his lover, he saw that he was flushed red, with tears threatening to fall. This would've been unknown to the untrained eye, however, they'd been together a long time now and Noiz knew when Aoba felt truly threatened. Now was one of those times. At lightning speed, he'd dashed out of the room after yelling a flustered farewell. The urge to murder was just growing bigger and bigger and he could feel his eye twitching in annoyance. Would  **anyone**  even miss this bastard? No, he answered himself. Realising he should go check on his lover, Noiz stood up and excused himself. Before he could leave, he was interrupted with:

"No don't worry,  **I** can go check on him for you." He wasn't entirely sure who the voice had came from, only knew that they were somewhere behind him. It didn't sound like anyone who worked with him and knew Aoba and he instantly didn't want them to go. What right did they have? None, in his opinion. So he kindly and hurriedly refused the offer and strolled out. It was all about keeping a calm appearance - if he let them know he was even slightly bothered, he'd lost. He'd already started losing thanks to the hurried refusal, he couldn't afford to lose anymore, whether it be the business or  _something_  else.

When he came across Aoba's room, it was dead silent. This wasn't abnormal, yet Noiz couldn't help but feel anxious. Surely he'd be able to hear the sound of breathing? Music blaring through headphones? Anything other than deafening silence. Opening the door, he prepared himself for the worst case - Aoba laying lifeless, blood splattered and spread around him, with a note saying some form of threat or demand. Other scenes flashed through his mind as the door steadily eased open. Although he never expected to see Aoba hidden under a duvet crying, biting into his hand to silence the sound. The unpleasant taste in his mouth grew bitter, and as he clenched his teeth, a metallic taste flowed in too.

"N-Noiz?" The stuttered response tugged at his heart and he could've started sobbing too; this man had too much of an effect on him though he'd never want to change it. Silently, he sank down onto the bed and enveloped Aoba in a tight hug. The crying seemed to spill out. Noiz wasn't entirely sure if all the tears related to this incident alone, or the pressures they had faced getting to the top - he'd received countless threats, either informing him that they'd kill him or "that pretty blue-haired whore". Dragging his mind back to the matter at hand, he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to finish this deal as quick as I can." Pausing for a moment, he considered Aoba's state. "Would you like me to call someone in?"

The response was instant; he stated shaking his head, screwing his eyes shut. As much as it hurt Noiz, he knew he had to get this deal done soon and then the asshole would leave. He hoped it would be as simple as that. Despite Aoba's answer, he still considered sending Clear in. If he sent Koujaku, he'd most likely start a war between their two companies. In all honesty, Clear would too, so Noiz decided to listen to his decision and leave him alone for now.

As he strolled back, he couldn't help but feel guilty - he'd just left Aoba alone while he was bawling his eyes out. What kind of boyfriend was he? Sighing, he rubbed his eyes roughly, exhaustion washing over him in powerful waves. If this deal wasn't so goddamn important, he'd have cancelled it and curled up in bed spooning his lover. Aoba still wasn't quite used to sleeping in the same bed, so Noiz gave him his own bedroom if he ever wanted to be alone. Needless to say, this was the first time he'd used it. Yet he couldn't tell whether that made him feel better or worse; did Aoba really think that he couldn't go in their room without him? Or was it that he didn't want to? Leaning against the doorway of the meeting room, he attempted to collect his thoughts and stop his head from spinning. He was still tempted to call Koujaku - the man may get angry but at least Aoba would feel safe. More insecurities flew through his head about their relationship, so he immediately decided against it. Figuring he'd wasted too much time already, he set his kind back to the task at hand.

However, when he peered into the room, it was empty. His heart stopped as his jaw dropped. Could it be..?

Confirming his thoughts, he heard a shriek come from behind him. Cursing, he dashed to Aoba, praying to any almighty being that was listening. If Aoba was hurt, he'd never forgive himself.

Abruptly, an arm flung out in front of him, halting him in his tracks. Growling, he went to tell whoever it was to fuck off, until he caught sight of their face. It was that bastard.

"Shall we talk somewhere else?" Noiz didn't think he'd ever wanted to punch someone this much in his life. "We have your little  ** _friend_**  safe somewhere."

He should've just sent Koujaku in.

 


	2. fate, please take away your pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm so sorry for the lateness of this chapter! I had intended for it to be uploaded on Monday but didn't manage to finish it in time, and I didn't want to rush it.  
> Secondly, thank you all for the positive feedback and kudos on the first chapter! It really motivated me to continue this, and I hope you enjoy this chapter too! Thank you for reading!
> 
> The title of this chapter is from Noiz's good ending song; how fitting.
> 
> edit 24/1/2016 (happy new year!): this chapter had errors regarding how Aoba was tied up. I have now fixed these, sorry for that error. New chapter coming soon.

Aoba wasn't entirely sure where he was. Only that it was freezing, terrifying, pitch-black and  _he was tied up._ His eyes were covered by a thick cloth that blocked any light, his wrists bound together along with his ankles, leaving him vulnerable to anyone who happened to be nearby. Speaking seemed useless - Noiz obviously hadn't done this to him, but he was sure he knew who did. Shifting around, he cringed as he found that he was still wearing those goddamn mini shorts that left him in this mess.

It had started with the (what he thought to be) harmless flirting. Surely the man was just joking around? Aoba had been cleaning - his shirt had ridden up a few times, sure, but he'd instantly scrambled to yank it down again. Those awful shorts hadn't done him any favours; he had felt the burning stares, causing him to blush. Normally, Noiz would gaze too, however, his gaze was softer and the love sent with them caressed it, decreasing the intensity. Those burning stares seemed to be laced with daggers, pain and embarrassment flooding into him.

It was with a broken sigh that he returned back to the present, and a startling bang followed it. Surprised, he jolted back only to meet with the steely wall behind him. Pain flooded through him yet again, but he was too preoccupied with trying to figure out where the noise had came from. It sounded oddly like someone hitting a wall with a powerful impact.

"Shit!" He yelped, struggling against his binds, chaos overtaking whatever rational thoughts he had. The worst case forced it's way into his mind - what if it was Noiz? His hands were stuck in front of him, a dull ache pulsing through, the feeling gradually flowing back into them. Reflecting back to the bang, there was a high possibility that it  _was_ Noiz - presuming they were still in their house, which he supposed was less likely. Yet again, he sighed, the noise being unexpectedly louder than he thought. Blinking against the blindfold, he wriggled against his binds, attempting to at least loosen the knots that were incessantly pressing into his wrists. A slight burn could be felt, but Aoba wasn't too bothered about that; his main concern was getting free.

Silently, he shifted his bound hands to the ropes at his feet. If he could just get them far enough down, between his knees, he could feel around and if he was fortunate enough - he could possibly untie his feet. However, before he could start blindly fumbling, another bang rang out, blasting straight into his ears. Petrified, Aoba held his breath, keeping motionless. The noise had sounded warily like a gun being shot, a sound he was all too familiar with. When Noiz had brought him in, the first thing he learnt to do was shoot a gun accurately. As much as it pained them both to realise, it was a vital skill, especially in this type of business. During that training, they only shared small acts of comfort; Aoba ended up breaking down. The weight on his shoulders had felt incredibly heavy and even started to crush him, until he finally caved in and snapped. He'd started shrieking that he was going back to Midorijima, and in response, Noiz had slammed into the wall, leaving an enormous dent that shut Aoba up.

"What if..." There had been a pause, leaving only awkward silence before he continued. "They came here?"

Long story short, they'd came - both Koujaku and Clear, both instantly agreeing to join. Thankfully, Koujaku already knew how to use a gun and Clear...  _was Clear._ The guy had super human strength or something, and even him himself agreed to the statement. There were other terms too; they were meant to act as bodyguards, but Aoba had still got in this situation somehow. Not that he blamed them, this was more likely to be a planned attack - not that he really mattered, Noiz was more important to save in his mind. After all, he was the leader, the one who ruled over everybody. 

Not long after, his arms became numb, the feeling finally gone. Beforehand, he'd tried to lift the blindfold away, but found his sensitive hair tangled between the knots. Personally, he didn't want to make  _any_  noise so that idea was quickly abandoned. Similar to him. Aoba wasn't scared, wasn't threatened, wasn't in (much) pain; he just felt extremely... **bored.**  It's not like he wanted anyone to come, if it meant poor treatment. On the contrary, it's not like he didn't want anyone to come either, since being sprawled out rather vulnerably across a icy floor wasn't exactly his favourite pastime. Far from it, in all reality.

Subconsciously, Aoba had slipped away into thought and became completely oblivious to anything going on around him. Noiz knew this, by the way his shoulders were lax, leaning on the wall and the way his mouth opened ever so slightly as soft breaths spilled out. It looked similar to how he slept, and God, Noiz could watch him sleep all night. The sight was stunning, as if he was still sparkling without all the lights. His azure hair splayed out across the pillows and the serenity of the scene formed a pleasant feeling in the bottom of his stomach that, for once, wasn't just pure lust, but also complete adoration. Is this what love felt like? Soundlessly, he chuckled to himself - he always was sappy when it came to Aoba. Love was something that, unlike before, was in abundance, and it was all thanks the man slouched over in front of him. Previously, Noiz had no concept of emotions or feeling; if he ever got punched, he never felt it. Yet now, he could notice all these fleeting feelings: the bitter cold: the fiery heat; the butterflies gliding around in his stomach; the agony at a rejection; the suffering that followed a punch. Some experiences were more welcome than others, though.

Knocking him back into the present was a sharp gasp from Aoba. Evidently, he wasn't dumb, nor oblivious to the fact  _someone_  was standing in front of him. Time to end the deafening silence that crowded the room; Noiz had a feeling it wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows though. As noiselessly as he could, he lowered down to kneel next to the older male and swiftly grabbed his hands with one hand, whilst the other flew to the blindfold blocking the other's sight. Instantly, he spotted that Aoba had frozen and tensed up, trying to stifle the shock that spilled out of his mouth. Noiz went to tug the blindfold off, only to be abruptly stopped by yelping.

" **Ow!** Stop! It hurts!" Where he held the blindfold became damp and he immediately stopped - the knot keeping it secure was obviously attached to Aoba's hair. He cursed himself for idiotic actions, then went to hold the other in an attempt to comfort him. 

"Sh," he hushed in a low voice, "it's okay, **babe** , I'm here." It didn't give the comfort he'd intended it to. Actually, it gave the opposite effect; Aoba lurched away from him, wailing as he slammed straight into the steely wall behind him. Then it occurred to him what had sparked this reaction. **Shit, he really was a fucking idiot.**


	3. save me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> get me the hell out of here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> last chapter had some continuation errors that i will fix, regarding how Aoba was bound. My apologies for that.  
> Also, I apologise for not updating over these past few months!  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you.
> 
> p.s. i also apologise for things that are incorrect regarding the Mafia and German - i do not know much about either topic, nor a lot of the German language.  
> "Seien Sie sanft, meine Liebe." should translate to "Be gentle, my love."

In all honesty, Noiz should've seen it coming. The flirts; the harassment; the danger. He  _should've_  been more careful;  _should've_  memorised the date;  _should've_  hidden Aoba away. And even now, he  _should've_  ensured that the other man was truly knocked out. Not that he actually knew how to check if someone was unconscious, though slapping them round the face seemed a correct way. In his opinion, it seemed a fantastic idea - even if he was still conscious. Maybe back-handing him would've been a tad too kind on him; he should've brought Clear in. But no, he'd decided storming out was a great idea after roundhouse kicking the mafia leader. To put the next few events simply, he'd tumbled to the floor, his associates had fled, and Noiz had rushed to where he presumed Aoba was. He really should've checked.  
  
' _Never mind that_ ,' his mind nudged him, 'Aoba has just hurled himself into a door and you're thinking of what you  **should've**  done?'  
  
"Good point." He remarked aloud, "Shit." Aoba was still wailing, hunched over against the door. His bound legs were pummeling against Noiz, forcing him to either move or accept the blows. If it were any other person, they'd have their head dangling under their ankles, which would be considerately held up by Noiz. However,  **it was Aoba**. It  **was**  the love of his life. How was he meant to stop the love of his life from attacking him without harming him too? That was something he wasn't entirely sure of - he had many theories, none of which he was completely certain would involve no pain, let alone work. It was obvious why Aoba had reacted in this way; the nickname "babe" was one he must have linked with the other leader. Honestly, Noiz was a fucking idiot for using it, especially since he had never done so before. He wasn't sure what had compelled him to do it - jealousy, perhaps?  
  
Carelessly, he'd been hovering over Aoba while deep in thought, so it was no surprise when he was struck directly in the stomach. The blow was excruciatingly painful, causing Noiz to collapse with a grunt. His knees buckled before him, landing him right on top of Aoba - who was still kicking out, and started to shriek at the sudden weight on him. The ropes around his legs were starting to mark the pale skin, stirring up both guilt and anxiety in Noiz's chest. For the thousandth time, Noiz considered what  _he should've done_  - cutting the tethers around Aoba's wrists and ankles.  
  
"No! No, no, please be quiet." All his verbal attempts to silence Aoba were in vain, the elder evidently not listening to him as he virtually tore his throat out. The roped wrists bashed against his chest, presumably trying to shove him away. Physical pain wasn't the only thing he felt at that moment.   
  
"Aoba." Yet again, Noiz tried to silence the other, this time grabbing the thrashing hands. " **Aoba**. It's  **me**." He put extra stress on the words 'Aoba' and 'me', praying that some part, some reasoning would go through the chaos in the other's head. 

For a moment, everything was still. Everything was silent.

"N-Noiz?" A trembling voice spoke out amidst the silence, barely audible. Noiz wasn't sure on how to respond; perhaps confirming that it was him would be a good idea? 

 _'No, no',_ logic advised,  _'say something only you would know about him.'_

 _'Wait, what?'_ Something only he knew about Aoba? His birthday? No, too simple. His underwear colour? Though that seemed a tasteless joke in this atmosphere.  Shit, he had to think of something soon, or Aoba would start shrieking again.

“Please, untie my hands. Please.” A faint voice spoke out amidst the silence, splitting apart the chaos in Noiz's mind. Was that a good idea? What if Aoba sprung forward and pounced on him? 

"Do you believe that I'm me? That I'm Noiz?" He had to question it. He had to. 

He could physically hear the other swallow down the lump in their throat before they replied:

"If you're Noiz, then what is your-" There was a slight moment of hesitation. "Your real name?"

 _'I'm going to kill him after this.'_ Of course, Aoba had learned Noiz wasn't his real name. Not due to Noiz telling him, but due to a package from his family that he was eventually going to throw away. **Eventually.**

"Wim." Hitched breath. "My name... is Wim." 

Saying the name aloud left a bitter, disgusting taste in his mouth. He supposed it was worth it, if it finally convinced Aoba. Well, he did once promise he'd do anything to prove his love - he inwardly cursed at himself for saying such a thing. What felt like an eternity later (despite being only a few minutes), Aoba replied to the question he never answered.

"I trust you,  **Noiz** _._ " The way Aoba said his name not only made his heart flutter, but also heightened the love; the affection he felt for the other man. Putting that adoration aside for a moment, he grasped the other man's bound wrists and attempted to untie the knot that had started to slice into his lover's arm. As a storm of emotions - none of them being positive - bubbled inside him, he considered the actions he could take. His options were limited, if he didn't want a gang war. However, hadn't this guy already began one by attempting to take over the house? Did it really matter what actions he took now? As he unraveled the rope, he pondered. 

When both Aoba's hands and legs were free of their binds, Noiz felt a hand upon his face. It began to stroke across the bridge of his nose, clearly searching for something. Letting it run its path, he wondered both what is was trying to discern and why - it was quite obviously something on his nose, and the only things on his nose were the piercings he had. Maybe his lover, now that they weren't tied down, was inspecting his face for physical evidence. It seemed something Aoba would do, and  **was** doing, proven by the fact that when his hands struck against Noiz's piercings, there was a gasp from both of them. 

"Seien Sie sanft, meine Liebe." Despite hearing it everyday in Japanese, Aoba always had a reaction when Noiz spoke to him in German, particularly when it was fondly. Noiz wasn't entirely sure why, but he sure as hell exploited it. Simple requests, such as "shop with me"("hier bei mir"), were accepted easily, instantly, when said tenderly in his native language. Right now, he supposed he spoke in German so his lover would take notice of what he was saying. Not because he had a desire to hear Aoba gasp. No, no, definitely not. 

Their next problem was the blindfold tangled in Aoba's hair. For as long as he knew Aoba, he'd had sensitive hair. Which, in some case, was a pain in the ass - especially now. It's not as if trying to tug it out of a normal person's hair wouldn't hurt, but it wouldn't make them screech like Aoba did. The only other quick option was to cut it off, though that idea seemed more hassle than it was worth. It seems the only option left was to untie that knot too, even if it took an eternity to do. 

"Aoba, I'm going to try and free your hair from the knot, okay?" He stated it more than asking it. Without a reply, he began easing it apart without much difficulty in actually loosening the knot. Every so often, he'd hear a whimper from his lover but nothing else was audible. After finally freeing it enough, it slipped off, revealing the swollen eyes of his beloved. Whilst Aoba clung to him, his mind flicked back to the other leader that still remained in his house. With that thought, he pulled out his phone, planning to phone Koujaku. 

"I don't think that's a very clever idea, do you?" Next thing he knew, there was a hefty object colliding with his stomach, the blood and bile rising up with it. The startling white tile underneath him was coated with red in an instant and his senses were crowded with pain. 


	4. stay away from things that aren't yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first, i'd like to thank you all for reading this! today i hit 50 kudos, and i was ecstatic about it and it's really motivated me to update this more recently than i have done.  
> secondly, i'd also like to thank my friend for reading through these chapters, checking them for mistakes, and my girlfriend for supporting me throughout this.  
> finally, i hope you enjoy this chapter too!  
> warning: not incredibly graphic descriptions of violence, but there are descriptions, so if you do not like that, you have been warned.  
> also: I am hoping to write two endings to this! If you like that idea and would rather have a good and a bad end, please tell me!

The phone went flying across the floor, before it smacked into the wall with a deafening crack. The same could've been said for Noiz, if he hadn't caught himself in time before slamming straight into the wall. On the tiles beneath them, blood and bile had splattered in a rather messy line. It felt like a crude imitation of a child's trail, except that instead of "treasure", it led to a more or less broken leader, hunched over in what some may call defeat. Though Aoba knew Noiz wouldn't accept being overpowered that easily - he'd go down kicking before he let anyone overthrow him. So that's why he wasn't entirely surprised to see Noiz spit out what had collected in his mouth, staining the tiles even more, then pick himself up and step up to the other man. What he didn't expect, though, was for Noiz to grab the dyed dreadlocks and tug them to just below his knee, whilst the other leader's face crashed into his knee, with an expression of both shock and rage. Aoba presumed the shock was at Noiz's agility, despite just being winded by a blunt object.

The phone, in its shattered screen, displayed an incoming call, from Koujaku. It seemed the phone had already dialed the number, unbeknownst to them. When it collided with the wall, it must have stopped the call somehow. Aoba wasn't sure how, but he was thanking whatever deity had heard his prayers, and was saving them. He just hoped he hadn't jinxed it now. Static mixed with Noiz's ringtone, as expected from something that was virtually destroyed.

"Aoba! Get the fucking phone!" At this, the rival leader whipped around to face both him and the phone.

' _Shit, he's going to kill me._ ' The only image in his head was him, lying face down, with a puddle of blood flowing out of him. It was certainly not something that he wanted to become real, but it seemed that the possibility of it truly happening became higher as the (incredibly) threatening man stomped towards him. Idly, he wondered if this leader also had a name tag like his partner did, since it would've been nice to know who was going to kick his ass and cause inevitable death.

However, it seemed death didn't want him at that moment, or maybe Noiz had sensed the possibility and was trying to stop it - Aoba presumed it was the latter - as in an instant, his lover had thrown himself onto the other leader, whilst smashing his fist into their face. If it wasn't a life-or-death moment, he might have laughed at the childish way of attacking. It reminded him of when Koujaku had first arrived, and as he went to greet Aoba by giving him a friendly hug, Noiz had launched himself towards the hairdresser, sending them both tumbling across the floor. It then hit Aoba that he didn't have time to be reminiscing, and that he should really answer the call whilst the phone could still be used, so he scrambled towards the phone. When his hand brushed it, a small shock zapped him, though he ignored it and jabbed the answer button. He just silently prayed the wrecked cell wouldn't set his hair alight.

"Hello?" It was patchy, but at least audible. "Noiz? Aoba? What's going on?" He would've replied, if he wasn't busy trying to run from the brawl between the leaders. As he dashed through the corridors, he attempted to reply.

"Help," For a moment, he paused to catch his breath, leaning against the door frame. "Noiz... Stuck... Fight." In between each word, he continued to gasp for air. He hadn't been this terrified since he saw Noiz slam his fist into a wall when he was enraged.

"Where are you now?" That was a good question; one that Aoba did not know the answer to. In the midst of panicking and running, he hadn't taken in where he was going, and was currently lost because of it. **_Fuck._**

"Uh." He span around, trying to decipher where he was - maybe he'd know if he looked out the window? Yet when he searched for a window, there were none about in reach. "Is there a section of the house without windows?" A sigh was the only response he heard, among the static. He supposed that might have been a dumb question.

"Even through the static, you're still an-" The conversation was cut off abruptly so he didn't hear the last part, but Aoba was almost certain Koujaku was about to call him an idiot. _**Rude.**_

Meanwhile, Noiz had been battling it out with the other leader - he honestly couldn't recall his name. Oddly, the only thing that came to his mind was the word 'malice', as he was both sure that his name began with an M, and the fact that his entire being practically screamed "I have an intention and it is to hurt you." Noiz felt a little offended; he wasn't sure what he had done to earn this hatred towards him, apart from being an admirable boss of a great group. Maybe he was envious? In his head, he chuckled slightly at the narcissistic thoughts. He might have snickered aloud if a fist hadn't connected to his jaw, sending him flying into the bricks behind him - why didn't they have plaster, it would be a lot softer? When his head collided with the shitty paint job on the wall, he instantly changed to being thankful that he didn't shoot through, making an even shittier paint job that Aoba may have killed him for - **if he didn't die during this.**

 When a particularly powerful strike knocked him to the floor again, he considered asking this guy what the hell his problem was. Not that anyone would appreciate being tossed into the ground like a rag-doll, even less to when it happened twice - maybe thrice now? He'd lost count as effortlessly as he'd been thrown - but surely, they had to have a reason for this anger. After dodging yet another attack, he decided he may as well question it.

"Oi! What the fuck's your problem?" No reaction; no change in demeanor; Noiz felt a little disappointed if anything. At the very least, he was expecting some non-committal noise, perhaps a grunt if he was being hopeful. There was nothing, or at least he thought so.

What he hadn't noticed, however, was the hand that slithered up and seized his neck before he could react. Gasping, choking for air, he was leisurely lifted up the wall, the hand remaining tight around his throat. For once in his life, he was truly terrified of the prospect of Aoba coming back, finding him strangled to death, and being trapped by "men". It was this fear, this **dread** , that kept him resisting against the vice. If he was going to die, he was going to do it knowing his lover was going to be safe. Even if there was a minute slither of optimism, a flimsy thread of hope, he was taking it. Though the likelihood of him dying increased as his air supply decreased, his struggles became feeble and the hand seemed to fasten even more. 

Was he really going to die without seeing Aoba's face one last time? Apparently so, as he found himself trapped in darkness, as he collapsed to the floor. His limbs were too numb to fight against anything. The ringing in his ears almost blocked out the sound of his name being called desperately, along with screaming. Or was that the ringing growing in pitch? He wasn't sure of the sounds anymore, all he felt was tired. So tired. As he drifted off, he wondered what sleeping on the floor was like, since he couldn't feel it. He was so used to this ignorance and obliviousness of feeling, so much so that it was practically nostalgia. But somehow, deep in his heart, there was an ache. 

"Noiz!" The ache became more present. 

' _Stop calling my name, it hurts_.' 

So tired, although evidently not tired enough to feel twinge in his heart and the throbbing in his head.

**"Noiz!"**

 


End file.
